Peach, Ach Creek
by AmarieC
Summary: Rethink time travel, rethink dying and living, rethink giving up, rethink rethinking quite actually. Dimensions open up time to Edd, but how and why this is all happening is only half the mystery. Extreme agnst ahoy!
1. This Is My Plead

**Peach, Ach Creek **

_This is the story of how Edd is suddenly jolted into parallel dimensions, timetraveling into painful memories of the past. What might sound terrifying, will curse him to the point that only one remedy will suffice, even at the cost of blood. Instead of external trouble, internal struggles and the troubled emotions of the characters are my main focus. The genres include fantasy, agnst, drama, mystery, and action, with just a hint of everything else. _

_Yes, this is my third version of this story on this site, and this is the best and my LAST! If you haven't read my previous versions of this fic, just read this one! No problem. It is a good story (if I can say that myself), and if you have a problem with ANYTHING in it, just tell me about it so I can improve (if it's relevant of course, I'm not going to include Richard Simmons in the story just because someone tells me to). This will be seven chapters long, and I will reliably update within intervals of two weeks. _

_This story is rated T for violence, sexual violence, moderate gore, moderately offensive words, and slight substance abuse. _

_YES, I own Ed, Edd, n' Eddy, and that is why- instead of making another season- I decided to write fanfiction which I will not profit from. Does that make any sense to you? (sarcasm)._

_I know, there are a few catagories of stories on this fanfiction section, and one of the largest categories would be the perfect/beautiful girl who is new to the neighborhood and falls in love with Edd instantly as-if-that-ever-happens-in-the-real-world and myseriously everyone is out of character or not included in the story because the story is only meant for the author's wish fulfillment of being Edd's lover. I know,__** it's tedious**__. Now __**I **__am going to tell you something, but do not turn away until I am done. I have an OC. But do not fret my readers, she is not an airheaded, lovey-dovey, add-on. I guarantee no mushiness for this isn't a romance story. Another thing, this story might start out just as most others do, butt that will change very fast. Yes, the two 't's were intentional (clears throat)._

_Now that the formalities are complete..._

**Chapter One**

**"This Is My Plead"**

I am not crazy. At least I wasn't before my second semester in junior high. The eighth grade lies in my heart with memories of joy, as well as confusion. Unfortunately, it also harbors the dark side of those days, which I cannot forget, the horror of it all. That first day... I met a rift in the world, a rift that I wish...oh I wish it hadn't had to be this way.

Please understand what I say, not even Ed and Eddy understand, or believe what I have seen. Perhaps you will.

It had been a normal beginning of the year: the occasional new kid. But this year was different. As I had heard, the school on the opposing side of town had burned down, and now most of those students transferred to ours. One, one I became familiar with at the lunch period, oddly in music class. I watched her play with the keys of the player's piano, playing a dirge as far as I could tell, as it sounded over the buzz of the lunchroom, eerily humming down the hall to my ears. After several minutes, she looked to the door where I stood. She then quickly gathered her things and went past me, trying to keep as much space between us as possible, being on the other side of the doorpost. She looked at the floor, never once looking at me again like she had when she stopped her playing. She guarded her things in her arms like ravaging lions were coming to take them, and started down the hall, walking fast and nervously. Yes yes, that is not meeting or becoming familiar with someone, I know. I don't understand why I didn't just say 'hello' to her. Why didn't I remember her name? I stood there in the doorway, trying to remember why I had forgotten her name, Veronica is not that hard of a name to remember now is it? Then I stopped all of my thinking, except for the analysis of this one thing, HOW IN SAM'S HILL DID I KNOW HER NAME?! I had never met her in my life, I had never even talked to her, she had never talked to me, I never was introduced, no one pointed her out, I did not know her, so how did I know her name was Veronica Kanker?! I shook, then pushed myself off with the door post, my hands sweating, and ran after her escaping demeanor.

"Wait!" I hailed, forgetting not to run in the halls. She stopped in front of the cafeteria, staring at me in bewilderment. She frowned, stepping back as I came right up to her face, panting heavily and almost panicking. She was dumfounded, waiting for me to give my cause of alarm. My mouth was already hanging open, so I just began to talk. "Who are you? Have we met?"

She frowned, shaking her head, "No, I saw you on the bus today, you were the one staring at me, the one who passed out."

"I know, but have we met before today? I'm sure I know you, from someplace..." My face was red, yes, I purposely did not tell you about my embarrassing loss of consciousness on the bus that morning, it just didn't seem neccesary to tell you about, that is all. 

"No," she interrupted me, "We have never met." She was confident in this, as much as she was startled by my outburst in front of this stranger, "I would have remembered you, I think."

"So you aren't sure?" I started to smile, maybe I was correct.

"Well, where did we meet? I don't even know your name."

"It is Eddward, does that sound familiar to you?" I put my hand on my chest, trying to regain my breath, just standing there on weak knees, glaring at her.

She stalled, thinking for a moment with her blue eyes on the ceiling, then she looked at the lockers behind me with her answer, "No, it doesn't."

"But I have met you," this was all frustrating, what was happening here?

"Where? I don't remember you at all!" She, getting impatient and all the more awkward, was even suspicious of me.

"Here," I pointed to the ground we stood upon. She stepped back, staring at me with worry and swallowing hard.

"I have never been to this school in my entire life, that's impossible." She sounded more confident now than at any other point.

"No, you **were** here," I began to lose sight of my power over anything, "We met before, I thought about you last night." Her glare was now an alarmed stare, her grip became tighter on her books, and she continuously stepped back. Oh, what had I just said? I hadn't thought of her last night. I didn't even know what was escaping my lips anymore!

"I have NEVER been here before, and we have never met before now. Okay?" She nodded her head, looking at me as if I was a... stalker.

"Well," I thought fast, maybe she was right, maybe I was just being... well, I don't know, but surely there was no reason for pursuing this, especially since she was starting to think I was crazy or a pervert, "Never mind, I must be sick or something." She became a little relieved at that, and turned her feet away from me, ready to leave. "I'm sorry if I've frightened you."

"It's okay, I like being freaked out," her hair was pulled behind her ear with a rough and nervous swipe, and I found her eyes intense to stare into, maybe I shouldn't have stared, since she was becoming nervous again. "Uhm, goodbye." She started down the hall away from the cafeteria. I watched her off a little way, then turned to go into the lunchroom for the meal, even though I wasn't hungry.

"Wait, you aren't eating lunch?" I pointed to the room, and she just glanced back at me. Oh my, I was not helping my insanity plea.

"No," she said plainly, and even annoyed.

"Why not? I mean, may I inquire why you are not?"

"I don't want to go in the cafeteria, I'm not hungry enough to brave that room with everyone staring at the "Kanker's cousin" and having to eat around that. So no, okay!?!" Yes, she was excessively mad and made me cower to leave the hall.

Within this situation, I wasn't very hungry for lunch. Purchasing my food quickly since all the lines had diminished, I went over to my table. Eddy was next to Ed, I could hear him say, "Where's sockhead?" as he poked at his food.

"I don't know, he is not answering!" Then Ed practically devoured his tray. I am quite confused as to why I heard this strange busy signal from a phone prior to him having spoken. Of course, I shrugged it off since this seems to happen quite often anyway.

"Greetings gentlemen," I alerted their attention as I sat down. Ed looked up at my food hungrily, his food was gone or on his face.

"Hi Double D, where've you been, Uriop or something?" Eddy asked continuing to poke at his food.

"Are you going to finish that?" Ed stared at it.

"Nope," he admitted, sliding his tray in front of Ed as he stared at me.

"So?"

"I was just speaking to a young lady," I answered: there was no need to tell them about my panic attack, they wouldn't understand.

"So that's why your face is red, you're such a spaz, can't talk to a single girl without breaking out, can you?" Eddy complained with a devious smile, "Was she cute?" He became excited, and stood on his knees in his chair.

"That is nothing of importance Eddy, now sit in your chair properly. She is the Kanker's cousin, Veronica is her name." Yes, she didn't tell me her name but somehow I knew it. My head felt so light, and my hand was sticking to the table.

"Her?!" His head cocked back, he had alarm in his face. It was hard listening to Eddy when Ed was munching on his lunch loudly.

"Can I have yours?" The awfully hungry fellow asked me.

"Excuse me Ed, blah blah blah blah blabbity blah," that is what seemed to reach his ears.

"Can I have it?" Ed smiled in hope. I stared at him, trying to catch his attention.

"No Ed," I said as plainly and clearly as I could.

"Double D, you're crazy! Why would you talk to a Kanker on free will?"

"Eddy, I don't know her, but I will not avoid someone based on their genealogy." For reasons I did not know, I knew that she was a relation of the dreaded Kanker clan, however, when I had talked to her, she didn't give any significant idea that she was anything like them, or a cause for a 'stampede for safety'.

"Yeah? Well I heard she's trouble. She burnt down her last school, is that a gooder reason to stay away from her?"

"I don't know," I tried to ignore his grammar just this once since I was already in an active argument with him and correcting him is no way in which to win him over to my forming side. I highly doubted she would ever want to be around me anyway, seeing that I proved myself to be a freak of nature.

"Ah, who cares, just stay away from her. Three thorns in our sides is enough," we sat silently for a little while, as if I was to heed to his words. I wouldn't listen to him though. Yes, I realize that I often do, but something within me said that it wasn't right. After quite some time of listening to the buzzing of the cafeteria, Eddy unveiled his thoughts. "I have a brilliant idea!"

"What is it Eddy?" I asked almost mechanically.

"You know that I have a great voice..."

I couldn't help but comment, "I couldn't help but comment."

"What's that mean? Anyways," and he snapped back to his rigor, "watch this!" Ed rummaged his left pocket for a comb and then blew into it. He played a very distorted version of "Row Your Boat".

"Where are you going with this?" My fingers tapped against the table.

"We should make a band!" He pitifully tried to sell it, "I can see it now, fame, fortune, luxury!" And with each word, he outstretched his arms.

"Boxers!" Ed chimed in, adding to the short list.

"Eddy, I am sorry to offend you and ground your dreams, but your voice is terrible; and Ed, comb playing is quite interesting, but it is not an instrument. Not to mention that repulsive instrument, my pedal steel guitar, is annoying."

"Come on Double D, it'd be a gold mine!"

"Where have I heard that before?" I mocked, trying now to concentrate on eating.

"You probably have," Ed said, he looked as if he thought it was a good venture. Such an innocent mind he had.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The very next day, I stood next to Ed's locker as he dug around in the small compartment. Eddy appeared with an excited face, like yesterday's, so I knew what he was to talk about.

"What if I learned to play something?"

"Hi, fine, history was fine, thank you for asking. And how are you?" I asked in a taunting tone, trying to demonstrate to him those sacred qualities called manners.

"Where?!" Ed popped out of the locker.

"I was just playing with Eddy, Ed," I explained, "Are you having trouble finding it?"

"Finding what?" Eddy asked.

"Ed wants to show me a picture that Veronica Kanker drew him yesterday in art class." Err, that is when I saw the picture, it was taped to the the barren locker door interior. "Is that the drawing?" I pointed at the detailed closeup of a vicious-looking bird with fangs that stared at me, making me nervous.

"Yeah, that's it!"

Eddy rolled his eyes, "WHAT did I tell you?"

"Thisss... was before... you said that," Ed began to cry after being scolded so.

"Eddy!" You apologize for thinking you can control who Ed talks to!"

"No!"

We had been a bit rash, and we became silent for the next minute.

"So, what if I learned an instrument? Would you be in the band then?" I sighed, and gave up my cause for a while.

"Eddy, learning to play an instrument takes time and practice."

"I'd do it for fame," Eddy answered with excitement bordering his voice.

"What instrument would you play?" Ed asked; his finger lodged in his ear.

"A guitar!" He answered, "No, a cuzoo!"

"Eddy, the type of instrument you play should be decided upon by the genre of music we would perform."

He frowned at me, "Can't you talk like a normal person? We would perform rock and roll, and some alternative of course."

"I don't think a cuzoo is rock Eddy." Ed had his finger pointed up.

"He's right," I agreed. After what I said, we were quiet. Maybe it was out of shock; maybe we were lost in our thoughts, wondering how Ed could be correct. None would argue with Ed, but we could hardly believe it. We three stood by the locker, fazing out the passing students that filled the halls until we heard a large bang from the right, recognized as the sound of marching Kankers and kids being flung into walls, tossed like dodgeballs. My fingers immediately went in my mouth, clenching them in my teeth. Dread was on all our faces, and Ed quickly climbed the wall to get to the ceiling, thinking he could hide from the Kanker sisters as they came stampeding in a destructive stride down the halls. I heard screaming coming from every which way and kids were running in the opposite direction. Ed grabbed Eddy with his tongue, and held him close to his chest up there on the ceiling depicting 'Spiderman' in a sort of odd way. The floors and lockers shook as Lee came into sight as she made a turn. I looked around for a hiding place, but Ed's open locker was the last place and I was hesitant to enter that realm. Around me, was no one, everyone having evacuated the premises in a frenzy. Ed reached down his tongue to grab me fast, but I saw that unsanitary oral organ and had to make a quick choice: Kanker beating, Ed's tongue, or the locker. I jumped for the locker as Lee nearly spotted me and the blue-haired Marie and blonde May turned the corner.

I slipped over myself, trying to grip the shelf in the locker and pull myself in when I fell on my face and could feel the violent steps of the infamous girls.

"Heah, what's that Lee?" I heard May ask goofily. My whole body froze up, and I could no longer reach my goal, as I saw the two tennis shoes of one Lee Kanker stop right at the locker door.

"Some idiot left a locker open May, shut up!" She shouted.

"Finders keepers!" May stepped on me and started taking out Ed's books, when she read one of the names, she sniffed the book with lowered eyes.

Her heavy sighing alerted Marie, "What 'cha got?" She growled, having been taken from her little dream-world.

"It's Ed's locker! We struck it rich!" May squealed, gathering up all of the belongings of Ed.

Alright, all while she was doing this, she did not notice me at all. So she just stood on top of me with both feet, with all her weight on my person. I am not going to go over every detail of my pain and suffering, since I am sure you can infer these feelings if you have ever been stepped on by an average height and weight girl of about the age of eleven, since I do believe May is younger than her sisters, but I just don't know for sure. I tried not to cry out, finding this position much more comfortable than those girls finding me would ever be.

But, unfortunately for me, Marie has a sharp eye, and I mean eye.

"Heah, what's that?" She pointed, sending my heart so low.

"What's what?" Lee groaned.

"Heah, that's Double D! Get off him you fatty!" May was shoved off, all with her feet dragged in my skin before she fell onto the floor beside me and I was pulled up with harsh hands and was met in the face by Marie. I could almost swear aloud. She smiled widely, fluttering her lashes at me, trying to flirt as it seemed. Of course, she wouldn't get a desirable response from me, no sir. "Heah there cutie!" She was about to kiss me when Lee snatched me away by the rump and pulled me up to eye level, pushing up her own hair to give me a careful, interrogative look.

"If he's here, then Ed and Eddy have to be." She grinned evily, studying my eyes. I tried to grin, maybe I could get out of this.

"Heah, give him back, you can go find the other Eds, but I want my doll!" Marie grabbed me back, but Lee tugged on me, both of them obviously forgetting that I was a human being with feelings, or they just didn't care. I had been trying not to look up at Ed or Eddy, so as not to give them away, but I did look up then, unconsciously hoping for their rescue. Lee caught my eyes going up, before Marie forced her lips onto mine. I just endured that horrible, emotionless kiss, just waiting for it to be over with, trying not to pucker up for her.

Lee looked up to the ceiling, and saw Ed and Eddy sealed up there, holding onto the vent for dear life. "Heah!" She pointed, and May's eyes boggled.

"Ed!" She started jumping, with arms outstretched to grab him.

"Ahhhh!!!" The two yelled in fear.

Lee joined her sister in the fishing excapade while Marie turned my face into a spitball. Eddy, being weaker, lost his grip and fell into the path of Lee. She started moving in on him, giggling all the way.

"Get away from me!"

"Why didn't you sit next to me on the bus?" Lee was disapointed? Why would that be?

"Why would I sit by trailer trash!?" Eddy asked with a big frown on his face. He stood up, a safe five feet distance between them.

Lee turned to May and Marie, "Look, my bumpkin's got a mouth on him!" They were ignoring her, with May trying to get Ed down and Marie still torturing me. "But I can talk dirty too." She focused on him with a calamitous look.

"Try me!" Eddy stepped forward bravely and quite foolishly if I should be so frank, he clenched his fists tight.

"Well who's a little perverted, dirt eatin', can kissing, pile of crap from my backed up septic tank!?" Lee said, winking at him, which made him shudder in sickness. Then she dived forward to grab him. I glanced to May, who somehow had gotten up Ed's leg and was crawling on him for his hands on the ventilation. And, as they fell down from the ceiling in a crash together, I saw Veronica Kanker coming down the hall. When she saw what her cousins were doing, she started running, angery and ready for a fight. Her fists were clenched, and she started shouting.

"Lee! Now who're you bothering?!" She preoccupied herself with roughly pulling one of Marie's hands from my body. Marie pushed her away, and she fell on the ground, scuffing her palms. She got up, angry as her cousin was kissing my lips again, this was quite nauseating.

"Get lost Veronica, this is our territory, if you wanted some you should've just asked!" Lee shouted. She went over to her cousin of about the same height and tried to negotiate.

"I don't want a share of them! You put them down, I'm sure these boys don't appreciate your advances. Do you guys want to get into trouble, again?"

"Whatever with your fancy words, we don't care about detention, we live there!" Marie gave me some relief from her breath to say.

"Shut up and get lost, we have a job to do," Lee groaned. May was busy on Ed, kissing him oddly and tickling his armpits.

"Ahhh!!" He yelled in distress.

In the next second, before Marie dropped me on the ground, May leapt off Ed, and Eddy fell down to the tiles, Veronica punched Lee in the face. Then it was all-out fighting. Marie grabbed her hair, pulling her painfully from Lee. May jumped onto her, just to receive a fist in the arm and neck. Lee recovered, and went into the fight, grabbing Veronica's fist and trying to squeeze her hand. She kicked May and Lee away, and tried to yank Marie off. I sat up, as Ed grabbed Eddy and came to rescue me for a retreat. Lee hit her in the face, and she was now struggling between all three of the girls who all wanted a piece of her for her meddling. They were all shouting and screaming, with May pinching, Lee punching, and Marie still bracing her neck.

Veronica stomped on Marie's feet, and smacked her in the face, fighting desparately. May and Lee also became victims, when she poked them viciously in the face, sacrificing her own fingers.

Then Ed, with us in his arms, turned the corner and we were out of harm's way, as I thought we would be. Ed ran into someone, and dropped me, with Eddy on top of me. Then we heard the voice of a stranger, one with a deep, rough, and malicious tone. I shot up and saw a legend from the school that had been turned to ashes. He was scary, tall, muscular, and I knew him to be a danger, even a greater danger than the Kanker sisters combined. His name I didn't know, but unfortunately, I had to meet him here.

"What's your problem pinhead?" He didn't say pinhead, he said something that I shreiked at when I heard. He nashed his teeth, and shoved Ed into a wall with a violent force. He didn't look like he should even be in junior high, probably sent back two grades.

Eddy got up, "Heah, leave him alone! Don't you know, the Kankers will get us!"

"Who?" He asked, laughing at my short compaignion. He folded his arms and shoved him into Ed, "Watch it pipsqueak," then he flashed him his jack knife as he went off to the corner, in the direction of the Kankers's heavy quarrel. He disappeared, and we all got up, having to see this encounter. We ran stupidly down to the corner again, not hearing the noises we should have. Where were the sounds of the Kankers?

The hall was empty, except for a figure, lying beside the lockers with her face down. I gasped, unfortunately helping us Eds means giving up your own body. The girl who had tried to help us lay completely still in the tiles, as Finch came walking down to her. He kicked her leg, making her face shoot up painfully and a harsh yelp escape her voice. She cried, looking up at this creaton she obviously knew. I bit my nails, as we watched him pick her up by the hair and reveal her bruises and gashes. She was blazing mad, but couldn't do much about her situation but wait for a rescuer. Did she heed to this logic? No, she kicked him viciously in the legs and jerked his head with her hands, trying to rattle his neck. She kicked him away from her and fell over backward, crawling desperately to get away from him. He was only mad now, climbing to his feet and laughing.

What kind of girl was this, who would take on the three Kankers, lose, then take on a guy twice her size?! I almost fainted, watching him grab her and toss her up the side of a locker. She writhed in pain, as he snickered sleezily.

"You stupid -----, what do you think you are doing, haven't you learned from my brother, don't fight, just keep your mouth shut and take it." He ripped her hair out of her face and kissed her, or whatever version of a kiss he thought this was. She yanked away, crying and spitting out his saliva.

As her arms were gripped by that monster, I could see the fresh scars garnering her them. The next thing I knew, I was rushing down the hall and grabbing his hand. He ignored me at first, pushing in another kiss, with her whining sorrowfully. Ed followed me, trying to be a good Samaritan. He noticed Ed pulling his hands off her, and swung at him. They gathered themselves in the center of the hall, and began to fight each other. I was so afraid for Ed, so afraid of the knife in the creaton's possession, so afraid of what was to come. What was this monster? What was this? How had we gotten into this? I heard Veronica cough, and turned to her lying on the ground, bleeding from the mouth. Helping her up, I checked her over, then turned to the escalating fight of my friend and my new worst enemy, as if I needed anymore enemies.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_I don't know what you've been told! _

_But not reviewing is getting really old! _

_Sound off! One, two, three, four..._

_See you soon. _


	2. One Mark Is All You Need

**Peach, Ach Creek **

_This obviously is chapter two because one plus one equals two (or one on a bun, it depends on who you are talking to). I am sorry for taking three weeks to update instead of two, I know I have gone against my word. I just wanted to give more time for readers to review this before updating another chapter, that is all. By now I should know better than to promise when exactly I will update, but for some reason I never listen to myself. Sorry. I am a person of my word, and my promptness in my story writing is something that I have prided myself (and mourned) in, and now I am here, about one week late from my schedule. I was surprised by the little reception I have recieved, even though I should not be surprised by now. I do not know why it is like this, but I must accept it and keep trying and being loyal. So thank you ZombieZapper101 and whoever else will review my story: thank you so much. _

_Ah, here comes the juicy stuff! (can cans to music) I hope this chapter is to your liking, and I do declare, Santa Barbara is rather smashing this time of year, wouldn't you say? _

_Disclaimer: I don't own any actually trademarked things that I mention in this story. Veronica is mine, so you can't kill her off (that's my job). Also, anything that I have named and any characters that I create are mine and you cannot touch them either unless you ask for my permission but I highly doubt you'd want to use them anyway so whatever. This is for the just in case situations. Thank you my dearest readers for putting up with my babble and now I will shut up and let you read the chapter._

**Chapter Two**

**"One Mark Is All I Need" **

The room was quiet, there were only a few desks, eight if I remember correctly. The room was quiet, and all I could do was clean Ed, and Eddy, and myself up from the blood we had sustained from diverse sources. The cretin who had fought with Ed stood by the door, 'lighting up', and Veronica Kanker was up front, rubbing peroxide all over her arms, legs, chest, hands, and even drinking a little of it because I could hear her difficult swallowing. The nurse had just left the room, and so had the police, and the principle. Oh my record! How, how could I have been incriminated for being in a fight? I was a victim! The ones to incriminate were Finch -what I figured to be that boy's name- and the Kanker sisters. Oh, but we had been the ones caught on the scene, we had been involved... how unfair was our justice system. I sighed heavily, kissing Ed's 'boo boos' and closing the peroxide bottle in my hands.

No one said a word, Eddy just scowled at Veronica Kanker, thinking it was her fault that we had gotten caught. I had known that these new kids at school would be trouble, because East Meadow Junior High was infamous for its horrible students with deplorable grades, and for the crime rate. But, as I looked over to Veronica, wiping tears from her eyes and trying to get rid of the mental germs she had sustained by consuming the peroxide, I saw something that I had seen when I first met her, innocence. She was about to swallow, when I jumped up and snatched the bottle. I grabbed her arm sternly, glaring her down. Finch was laughing, sending around smoke in the room. She stared at me with her cheeks full of the toxic liquid.

"Don't you dare swallow that Miss Veronica, or I will be forced to call the Poison Control Center, and I am sure you have had enough of the authorities today," I would have beaten Finch, if I hadn't been so weak and frail. I held the bottle to her lips and she spit out the peroxide carefully. She looked up at me with a humid face, wiping her mouth on her blue tank top. I screwed on the top and took the bottle to set it next to mine.

I turned to Finch, giving him the most malicious look I could dare to give, then I sat down next to Eddy. He cowered closer to me when that bully by the door looked at us with such an evil smirk. Ed sat in his chair awkwardly, giggling a little as he played with a pen he had found on the ground. He took one from his pocket and put both of them in his mouth as vampire fangs. Aw, it always was Ed to brighten any situation, I could only try to smile though. His fists were red and blemished with shallow scratches. The poor creature had gotten into a fight for reasons that weren't his and he didn't understand. I didn't understand these reasons either, and curiosity was burning my insides.

Then I saw the desk I sat at in this detention room, it had words carved into it, words which almost stopped my heart and made me hop in my chair. Oh, my heart was so weak right now. Those words were so callous, so rude, so threatening. The monster by the door read the sentence as if he had it memorized: "The blinking blink that sits in this blinking chair will have his blinking ribs ripped out." I felt uneasy, and tried to focus on Ed and not touch the desktop. The boy was just smiling as if he had not heard such foulness.

"That desk isn't personal property," Veronica turned around at me and said, "Ignore it."

"Don't listen to her, she's a..." he swore at her. He was so big, I couldn't object. The things he barked at her made me sick, but there was nothing I could do.

"You are just mad I sent your stupid brother to prison," she shouted at him angerly. She was raging hot, glaring at him bitterly.

"Well ya' know what? You are just a snitch, wah wah about things other girls would forget."

"What? Those immoral girls at that freakin' school we went to?"

"You never liked anyone there, so don't be bashing the girls you loser," he yelled.

"I never cared!" She yelled hysterically, standing up and gripping her desk, "You're right you jerk! There was nothing to care about, I was glad when it burned to the ground." Ed looked just as confused as I was, since he probably was.

"If I had known we would have to put up with these nerds, I never would have done it," he smirked.

"How do you know they are nerds?" She asked, glaring at him.

"Oh, I forgot, you are one. And Jak did the best he could to fix that didn't he?" He smacked her butt, laughing as he went to the door. I was about to stand and yell at him but she threw her dictionary at that malicious creature, ushering him off. She sat back down in her rage after retrieving her well-aimed book, and it was silent for quite some time from that point. No longer did I care for my record, for things were put into perspective. I did not know how I'd survive this semester, or the rest of my life. This...this was only the second day! Help me! For the love of Pete, couldn't someone help me!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up at five to a nightmare. It was hard to fathom, even for me who had seen it. It was of school vandalism. On a smooth floor, in the center, in red ink, was an erasable phrase. This phrase killed me, but I couldn't read it, it was smeared in my head. I couldn't read it, that was the horror above the vandalism itself. I couldn't read those words! The entire dream consisted of that phrase, and I couldn't read it. What was this dream meaning? I shrugged it off though, oh who cares what it meant, it was just a dream, and like most other dreams, it meant nothing, but was a random consequence of my imagination and knowledge, and that was all.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was at lunch on the third day of school that I officially went against everything that Eddy had told me: when I went over to that timid creature of Miss Veronica. She was too busy thinking or looking at the floor most of the time for me to give her my eye contact as we passed each other in the halls. She was very unlike all the other girls in the school, level-headed and soaked in sarcasm. It was as if she trying to hide some sorrow. It was very difficult to get to know her, just by her personality alone. And this difficulty was properly displayed when I resolved to ask her to join Eddy, Ed, and I at our lonely table. I blurted it out upon reaching the sect of her loneliness.

"Hi," she answered, looking up at my self-conscious figure and completely ignoring my question. I stood there, looking like an idiot who's tongue had been dissected. "How can I help you?" She asked in an undecided impression of Bugs Bunny and a southern belle. I did not like talking to the side of her head, but I had no choice if I was going to lead on a conversation at all since she would hardly look at me. Yet, lucky for me, she seemed to have forgotten all about the first conversation we had had.

"Would you like to sit with me for lunch?"

"Why?" She acted as if looking at me was painful, glancing only briefly.

"Why?" I exclaimed, my hand slapped my gaping mouth shut. Why? What kind of question was that? Who, in all the schools of this country, would ask something like that at something so generic as an invitation to not sit alone at lunch? I know I wouldn't, I would contentedly accept. "Oh, I am sorry, you look lonely, that is why." I thought I saw her roll her eyes, as she sighed heavily and glared at me with cynicism.

"Tell me this, why are you the only one who takes this time to talk to me, or to be with me? Are you up to something? Do you want to play a joke on me? Haze me? Or do you want to exploit my body that is overdeveloped for my age in more ways than other jerks have? What is it?" She glared at me, eye contact seemed to be easy when she was angry. I felt so hurt when she said this, I had no intention of hurting her, I had tried to protect her just yesterday, did she need to be this paranoid?

"No, I talk to you because you intrigue me Miss Veronica. I have a natural tendency to take the side of the oppressed, just like most human beings do. I have no reason or desire to harm you, and I cannot explain how I behaved upon our first meeting, but that is not the manner in which I usually present myself. You just intrigue me. Is that a crime?"

Her face was red at my indignant and self-righteous words which I had so boldly spoken. Her head was lowered, as she busied herself with flipping through the pages of her dictionary and stopping at a word. She looked up to me after a moment with a horrified, awkward frown.

"Define 'intrigue', please." She put the book on the portion of table I was standing by. I sat down next to her and read where her battered, short finger nail was directing. The portion of the definition read 'illicit love'. My eyes shot wide open and I went back someway in shock. With a burning face, I redirected her to another portion that read, 'to fascinate; to arouse interest in'.

The argument having been won, I just sat there at the table, feeling much more comfortable now that I was sitting down. I held out my hand to her, and she shook it carefully. "You may call me Double D, Miss Veronica." Her hand was freezing cold, I must say.

"Errr, well, you can drop the 'miss', alright?" She asked, mumbling half of it so I could hardly hear, and giving off a nervous laugh at the end.

"Alright," I answered, sighing, this was much more difficult than I thought. But I would not give up, she was timid, yes, but I knew better than to think that was all she was.

"So my cousins like you and your friends?"

I sighed again, "Yes, we are their boy toys, so to speak." She smiled uncontrollably then, and that was the shocker-rocker of my week, of my life. I did not perspire, but trembled. However, I will tell you what I told Eddy later on, I did not have a crush on her so do not pester me about any possible romantic thoughts.

"I'm sorry I did such a fantastic job trying to stop them, I think they were having a bad day, usually I can control them."

"Oh?" I found this extremely hard to believe, knowing that they were like monsters and seeing that she was, well, she had nice, slender arms.

"Yeah, I'll do better next time." She pulled her hair out of her face so I could see both eyes, and she collected together her dictionary and food.

We headed for Ed and Eddy in a uniform pace after that, the argument having been won. My shorter friend looked at me with a smirk.

"Flirting with a book, Double D?" Curse his nosy-parker ways, he had been watching the entire time. I stood at the end of the table with Miss Veronica timidly behind me. It was up to Eddy to taunt me for trying to be friendly with a female just for the sake of hospitality.

And now was his cue for causing more difficulty in establishing a friendship, "What's she doing here?" Immediately, she started back for her solitary table at his words.

"No, please stay," I pleaded with hands clasped, getting her to turn back at me.

"He doesn't want me here," she stared into my eyes, making me almost gasp in uneasiness.

"I know, but I can try to make him be polite." I turned back to Eddy furiously, she turned reluctantly.

"Eddy, right?"

"Yeah, Veronica **Kanker**?"

"Si."

"Huh?" He lowered his eye lids.

"Eddy, you take Spanish," Ed pointed out, he stood and held out his hand, "My name is Ed!" His hand was stained with mayonnaise. Oh, how quaint.

"Ed, you sat with me on the bus today and told me about your love for chickens," she hinted him but he just stood there with his hand not withdrawn, "We met two days ago."

"Oh!"

I turned to Eddy, "How could you be so rude?"

"Because she's a Kanker! Kanker rhymes with trouble!" Eddy snapped violently.

"She is willing to sit with us, she isn't like them, so stop your bickering mister!"

"She's not sitting here!"

"Why not?"

"Double D, do you remember the girls that always attack us? She's their cousin! She has their blood," he pointed at the golden brunette who stood so innocently next to Ed, talking over something I couldn't hear.

"It doesn't mean she has an equal personality, violence isn't hereditary!"

"What about what everyone is saying?"

"I no longer believe those rumors to own any credibility, and you want to know why? Because she is a victim, just like us." I was solid in my arguments, and had been lately.

"Why would they be talked about so much if they weren't true?" He yelled at me, hurting my feelings. I tried to count to an hundred, yet a thousand seemed to be more appropriate.

"Eddy, she has done nothing wrong to us, she's actually nicer than everybody else. She wants to sit with us, no one ever sits with us!"

"She's around the Kankers a lot!"

"I am in your presence all the time, so does that make me a loud-mouthed, cold person who slaves and tried to control his friends and drive everyone else away?" For some strange reason, I felt as if I was winning the battle of throwing water out of a sinking boat, even though I should have known I couldn't win my beloved, yet rather stubborn Eddy with that last statement.

"I'm only driving her off!"

"Fine," I said, throwing up my arms seeing that this couldn't be resolved, "be prejudice."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Double D, does prejudice have something to do with my seagull Penelope and the raccoon in my toilet fighting?" Ed asked me as we made our way down the boardwalk towards home.

"No, it doesn't," I said carefully so he'd understand. Eddy had insisted on us walking home today and we found out why when he stopped in front of the music store. He stared into a large window with a musical display of guitars, basses, wind instruments, a piano, and a drum set. All were sparkling in the sunlight that went through the glass. Eddy stared with hunger, then walked on to the candy store where he gave the display the same stare as before. It was as if music was sweet to him. Ed, digging into his pocket, took out his violin and began to suck on it. Somehow he must have figured that Eddy's expressions meant candy and musical instruments both tasted good.

"Stop that, would you?" He took it from his mouth, sighing.

"Please don't fight anymore guys!" He gave me puppy-dog eyes, "I don't like you fighting."

I sighed, glancing hopelessly at Eddy, "I'm sorry Ed." Then the boy I was watching pounced on me and tried to give me a noogie. He had his arm around my neck and the other around my... waist. It made me moan aloud, I... I was just not used to much physical contact with anyone. "Stop!" I demanded in shouts, struggling to get away.

He gave me a taunting look to 'show' me, "Lighten up Sockhead, and forget her. Just because she gives you a rise in your pa..."

"How dare you!?! Has it ever crossed your mind that I like her as a person and not for her voluptuousness? Besides, I have never had one questionable thought about her! She is an acquaintance and my only intentions are a possible friendship!" I tried to remain calm but it was very difficult with the accusations he was throwing at me, and besides, I needed to censor him before Ed heard what he was going to say.

"Shake your booty, shake your booty, yeah yeah!" Ed sang as he threw his arms behind him and his body forward in an inclined march, then he did it vice versa, repeating numerous times. "Everybody do it now!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uh, Ed was awfully songful the next day at lunch as well.

"Oh, head for the bread in the freezer! It's next to the pie and cake! Oh, head for the bread in the freezer! It's next to my leftover milk shake!" He sang at the peak of his large lungs, sitting next to me at lunch, embarrassing me to death. His singing was so delightful, although off key for half of the lyrics. I smiled nervously and apologetically at all our peers who were staring at our table. I fumbled with my fingers, sweating. Eddy was hiding under the table, not wanting to be seen and, consequently, his image being tattered. Kevin tossed a football straight for Ed's mouth and it went in, blocking his singing. He stopped, smiling full of broken teeth and rubber. The jock laughed violently with a few of his athletic buddies. Nazz was sitting next to him, and just frowned. She had asked Veronica to sit with her today, so I had no fight to commence with Eddy. I sighed, leaning my head on my arm as everyone went back to their conversations and food since Ed's lunch serenade had now ended. I watched Nazz talking with Veronica, being her regular outgoing and friendly self. That was the problem, it's not that I didn't want Veronica to get along at this school, it was just, I knew that my friends and I couldn't compete with the popular kids for her time. And I wanted to so bad.

Eddy saw my depression in the way I ate my food and kept glancing back at the awkward brunette at that table. She didn't even seem like she was comfortable, but then again, she never did.

"See Double D, she doesn't want to sit with us, the only reason why she was even talking with you yesterday was because no one else was." Eddy only added to my burden, making me slump down until my nose was almost in my instant mashed potatoes. His words were so hurtful, but they seemed so true. So could I blame him? He watched me further droop down, watching that girl eat her food in silence, as Nazz just talked and talked and talked, giggling with Kevin over something soon after. She never looked around at anyone else, but one glance at me that was short lived. Eddy nudged me a little, so I turned to him, looking up at my now solemn-faced friend. He gave me a little smile, then went back to eating his pudding cup. Ed turned to me.

"Cheer up Charlie, don't be so sad, don't you know that your smile has always been my sunshine?" He sang, making me chuckle a little. "Your stormy days are going to cheer up Charlie, cheer up Charlie, do!" He became louder and louder and people were starting to look at us again.

"Shhhh... you big lummox!" Eddy tried to quiet him.

"Ed please, lower your voice." He quieted with my gestures, and went back to eating. "Thank you though."

"Don't thank me, thank my mommy for her genies."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was walking out the door, an hour after school was over since I had stayed to help my teacher tidy up the storage room, when I saw Veronica sitting on the ground by the door. She was playing with a rubber band on her wrist, and lifted her head to me when I passed by.

"Good afternoon Miss Veronica," I tried not to be cold. She sat there, her eyes lingering at me.

"I'm sorry I didn't sit with you today, Nazz was talking to me a lot and asked me to sit with her." She said those words with distaste.

"I understand, she's a girl and you should get along with her nicely," I said solemnly, trying to be happy for her.

"No, she's a ditz, and is just too...I don't know what it is. I mean.. she's nice, but I don't know. I don't like her, and that's all I'm gonna say bad about her because she's so nice. I felt bad for not sitting with you. I don't even know why all of a sudden she noticed I existed. Do you still want me to sit with you?"

"Yes, of course, but obviously, you do what you want," I offered, pulling my bag over both my shoulders. She nodded.

"Well, I want to sit with you Double D." She looked over at the border of the lockers and the dusty floor with a sour face, then braved me again. How amusing it was for me, to be in the presence of one more awkward than even I was! Well, I did feel sorry for her, since she had a very hard time looking into my eyes.

"Alright, I will see you tomorrow then Veronica," I gave her a head nod and started for the door when she stopped me, getting up and coming over.

"I don't know about what you said, about having met me before Monday, but uh, I feel like I **do** know you, that's why I feel so comfortable talking with you, even though we've just met," she frowned, keeping her distance from me still, "Is that what you meant that day?"

I shook my head, "No, I really thought I had met you before. I still do." She swallowed hard, and walked with me out the door.

"Are you usually wrong?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Was I usually wrong? I knew the answer to that question, and dwelt on it when I went home that night and completed my chores, did my homework, and ate dinner all alone. I was hardly ever wrong, since my brain was my power point. It was unlikely that I would give into false feelings and presuppositions. But the next day of school would give me the proof I needed that something was wrong: I almost wished that I had been incorrect after this.

I finished my first class and went to my locker to switch books. Ed was there, waiting for me. He seemed noticeably tense and excited. For the first hour of school, I had not perceived any of my peers' excitement, and I realized it now in Ed.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No Double D, I'm fantastical, the gym isn't, come look!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hallway. I did not even have time to shut my locker. He brushed us past people and I had to apologize all the way until we turned a hall and stopped abruptly at the gymnasium doors.

He let go of my hand, leaving me in confusion and disappointment before him. "Ed, you know better than to run in the halls and knock into people...".. He set me in front of the open double doors that were barricaded with 'wet floor' signs. I stared for an eternity, just staring into the high-ceiling room. My thighs vibrated irrepressibly, I did not swallow, and I did not blink, I just forgot about everything except what I was staring undeniably at. The tall windows of the gymnasium were broken, the pieces shattered all over the drenched floor. A large, thin, white tarp was filling the space where the windows were to be, being whipped with the wind. The ends of the tarp which were not pinned down, were moving in the wind, creating ripples which travelled all the way to me and broke against the doorposts. Basket and volleyballs were everywhere; grafiti blemished the walls in thick, red spray paint. There were three different words repeated over and over in a right slant on the walls. These words, they sunk like a large pill down my throat and pounded into my gut. I gripped the doorpost and closed door, leaning over the barricade, with my toes in the cold rainwater. My eyes were on the words, only the words. There was no concern for the gymnasium in me, it was only for those words. I swallowed the saliva around my tongue, and pulled back to the present world. I didn't want to think about the dream I had had this morning.

Now that I was back, I saw the people gathered around Ed and me. As they came, I felt their eyes on me. Looking at them all, I could sense their suspicion. They whispered to each other, making me tense up from my lower back up to my head, numbing me.

_"He did it?" _

_"Why does it say that?" _

I was stunned, realizing that no one there really knew me, but they all knew of me. They all knew the tormented nerd, the jester, the one of three no-good-scoundrels that you just wished were gone, it didn't matter how. They wouldn't even notice if we had been gone, but would have this unconscious feeling of greater joy and tranquility.

"I didn't do it!" I tried to protect my good name, my innocency.

"Then why is your name all over it?" A girl asked with anger.

"Does someone hate you dude?" A guy from behind me voiced out.

"I don't know, I turned around at him, "I have nothing to do with this vandalism and I am not friendly with anyone who would cause such..." there went my voice, and my mind. Once again, something to blame on the new kids. I had made additional enemies to the Kanker sisters. Eddy pushed through the crowd, and came to my side, holding my arm in a strong grip.

"Hey, don't be blaming it on him, Double D's too good, you can't think he did it!" It was a blessing- the rare times Eddy came through for me. I had not expected this, not with our present circumstances.

"Why is his name on the wall then?" I found those words again, written some fifty times in the reddest of color. I was afraid I would be called to the office, and as time told, I was. However, I was no help to the officials. I had no idea why or who had done such a thing as this. But there was only one thing I knew, that this had to be an allusion, that I **did** know somehow. My dream, it haunted me violently, like a battered curtain, flapping against the window pane, or the tormented tarp of the broken gym windows creating silent ripples that gently broke against the open doorway. And those words followed me home, they made me quiet on the bus, they kept me awake that night.

"Don't go Double D."

I escaped my pointless bed, the fears still fresh, visions of those three words still in my eyes. It had...no! I wouldn't admit it. How could I have dreamt it? Every letter, every sloppy, right slant. Every heavy placement of the uneven paint. The splatter of the red spray. As I contemplated, the dream no longer felt like a nightmare, but memories again. I found myself completely escaping the view of my bed, rushing to the lavatory and 'losing it' in the toilet.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Please review**


	3. When

**Peach, Ach Creek**

To ZombieZapper101---I humbly ask with a mouse-like voice for a more wordy review, please. I am grateful for your reviews, yes, I am. You are one of my most loyal reviewers... but I beg for more words. In return I will read and review some of your works if you would like. Thanks.

To tpfang56 ---I'm glad you like Edd's angst, it seems to be the genre I am stuck on. And I'm so happy you like Veronica, I didn't make her perfect, popular, the definition of beautiful/hot, or a rocket scientist: there have already been plenty of those kind of girls in this fandom.

To everyone--- I'm sorry for the lack of update, but I actually have been busy (like that has never happened before). Summer really works your butt off. Oh, if you think this story is missing anything, or that some details, thoughts, or actions are not being included, or if you just have an idea to add 'coolness' to the fic, please do not hesitate to tell me for I am a darn tootin' good listener! Oh great, now I hate myself.

**Chapter Three**

**"When"**

You might be wondering why I decided to tell you the story of how one of my dreams came true, how I saw the future in the night. Well, that isn't the reason why I am telling you this: it's only the beginning. What happened in the days following were what made me realize that I was not foreseeing graffiti on a gymnasium floor, but a rift of time that would bring me almost to the point of a slice.

Even after the weekend, I wasn't up to school, I was exhausted, having not received a moment of rest as my mind fumbled over that cursed dream. By the rising of the sun on that Monday morning, I had given up and gotten ready for school. At least Eddy and I were on good terms again (because he's my friend, it only takes a weekend to cool him down), so I could rest my head on his shoulder and proceed to take a small nap on the bus. He just ignored me and my arms around his left limb, reading sheet music as the bus rolled along roughly. It was nice, on his soft shoulder, close to mutuality again. I agreed with Ed, who was peeling a wad of gum from the bottom of our seat at the time, fighting wasn't desirable or enjoyable for any of us. Eddy turned his head to me and gave a warm smirk,

"All-niter Sockhead?" I shook my head, my eyes opening for only a second after a harsh bump. He went back to his sheet music, tracing a treble cleft with his stubby finger. Then I drifted off...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Eddy, I can't help it, I was assigned to be her history partner!" I argued, yelling, pleading with my friend at the end of the hall leading to the lunch room. He was mad, clutching his paper bag lunch tightly, taking it out on the bag for now.

"Hey, you could've asked for a change, like you do with the Kanker sisters all the time!" He opened the door to the cafeteria himself, then let it slam in my face. Ed propped it open with his big hand, with such a low and depressed expression. I sighed for him, here Eddy went again. He turned around sharply at me, ignoring everyone else in the cafeteria, even Nazz who was passing by. This obviously was serious, more serious than I had anticipated, since Eddy thought it was enough to neglect his usual activities of hitting on females, scheming, and showing off. Even his musical venture was on hold, as I glanced back at the music sheet discarded in the hall. "If you want to be HER friend, why don't you just say it and leave us!"

"I don't want to leave you! What profit would I have in leaving my two best friends to gain one who I don't even know yet!?"

He darted at me, shoving me up against the wall with his forearm pressing into my neck. He stared up at me, with, such a cold gleam of the eyes.

"Then what are you doing? Ditch her!" It was amazing how one class of History could change our relationship. This was really becoming painful, as he pressed my larynx to near collapse. I coughed restrainedly, and Ed rushed over to pull Eddy away. He let go himself, gave me a hurt expression, and left for our usual table. Ed patted my back, continuously slumping.

We saw Kevin approach Eddy as he went over to our table with a smirk and encouraging eyes from all his new friends at a crowded table. "Hey, what's wrong dork? Is Mrs. Dork cheating on you?" A blast of violent laughter came from the table from which he slivered, as my face warmed, watching Eddy continuing to walk. It was as if he did not possess the strength to even dual Kevin anymore. Oh Eddy. Kevin continued to follow him, determined to get something out of him as he went. Ed and I stood there, watching him sadly. I didn't want to be hurt in anyway, and... I just wish Kevin would leave him alone! "Dorky, is Double D sharing your marriage with the new..." He had no time to finish the sentence, and neither I nor Ed had time to blink when Eddy expressionlessly turned, powerfully punching the taller boy in the face. Kevin plummeted to the ground, reacting with a hand on his nose. A flow of red started to trickle down as he sat on the tiles between tables. Everyone watched, as Eddy went on to our table without word, or laugh, or any sort of pride in the matter at all that I thought he should have had for punching out his arch enemy. There was nothing in his stone eyes, nothing at all.

We watched Kevin stumble to his feet, his face white and bloodied. He coolly stepped out of the dead cafeteria, letting the door shut behind him. It took a second after that for the lunch room to come alive again, everyone trying just to ignore what had happened once they had their nerve back. My eyes turned from Eddy's slow eating habits, moping at our table with bitter eyes, to Ed, who seemed only to hold a blank face, perhaps confused by all this.

"Ihh'm sorry Ed," I struggled to talk. He gave me a smile, then went to purchase lunch. I stood up against the wall, looking at the filled tables, not being able to help it when I looked towards Veronica's empty area. She sat there, playing with an apple, waiting for me to show up. I looked down at my feet. Was I disappointing everyone I knew now? If I sat with her today, I would only be making the situation worse, but I had told her that I would join her that day. I had no choice; but as I looked over at Eddy, I saw his eyes linger at me. He watched me traverse the tiles to her table and sit down. I could only talk, half there, with my mind on Eddy's stare, and the guilt that I shouldn't have felt.

I started sadly to address her, "Hel.."..

"Go sit with him," she sighed, not looking at me once, but almost acknowledging my friend's glare. I was surprised, and felt a lift of my burden.

"Pardon?"

"Go sit with your friend, we are going to see each other after school anyway for our history project, there is no need to break your friendship with him if you are miserable in so doing. Go!" She mumbled, pushing my paper bag toward me and still not looking at me.

"But... HE is the one who is wrong in all this, why should I give in to his demands?"

"Because, you're meeting him at a compromise, you sit with him at lunch, so you can be history partners with me, if you take both, you push the limit..." she glanced at me, then proceeded to eat. When I didn't leave, she looked at Eddy, swallowed her bite, then whispered in my ear, "You must see some good in him if you are such good friends."

She was right. So I got up, gave her a 'goodbye' and went back to our table. He was confused until I sat down, and remained quiet, almost humbled for the rest of the lunch period.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I swallowed hard, with anticipation and fear growing within me and fluttering up in my stomach. My hand over my abdomen, I never looked at my destination's description on the yellow little piece of paper that I held. The house was tan, and had a lawn that I was sure had not been mowed in weeks. This neighborhood was quiet, and not a car could be seen, quite like my own, yet, with a continuing road and a certain liveliness to it.

The door opened immediately after I knocked, and I found myself nose to nose with a boy of about seventeen. He sniffed, backed up, and stood up straight in his tallness, his black eyes staring me down critically, as if he was measuring my every feature. This young man had black hair, olive skin, probably a native of the Mediterranean region, which made no sense to me until I was told what his relations to Veronica were. He wore muddy sneakers as the most outstanding feature of his attire. I was so alarmed he would wear such filth in the house.

"Who are you?" we both asked politely.

I then took the initiative and the next part of the dialogue, "I apologize for my question, my name is Eddward Sobchak."

"Oh yeah, the nice guy," he shook my hand with a hearty grip, "Call me S.O.S. young chap!"

In the home, I noticed all the crafts on the walls and the dust. Oh my! The dust! Who in their right mind would live among such filth? To my left was a carpeted stairway; to my right, a hallway, and in front of me, an average-sized living room. Poor lighting illuminated the place vaguely. A ball of cat hair sped across the hard-wood floor, making me shriek. I heard 'S.O.S.' speak from behind me in a low voice, and I almost could not hear him, "The last nice guy she knew almost destroyed..." I turned to where he had been, but he had disappeared. What did he just say? Did he really say that? I must have been imagining things, for he was no where around.

"Sitare?" There, it happened again. S.O.S. was most certainly not the man at the door's name, but his real name had never been disclosed to me once, by anyone. I shivered, feeling cold in this hallway, all alone. I had known his name somehow, and somehow, I was so familiar with this house... I hadn't even needed the directions Veronica had given me, but took them so she wouldn't be afraid of my... knowledge.

I couldn't even explain it if I had shown her, proved to her that I knew her, where she lived, who she knew, and sometimes, what she would tell me. Only one thing remained a mystery to me, those scars.

"Sitare?" I fumbled with my fingers, and my voice was shaking in fear.

Obviously, he lacked in social skills, leaving a guest to find their way around. I looked around from where I stood without success, he was just simply gone. I heard laughing come from the backyard, so followed the noise to a back door. Upon opening it, the hinges squealed and I saw, through the screen door, Nazz and Veronica playing with a dog. Nazz was hysterical, watching her host trick the Labrador into thinking she was throwing the stick in her hands. The dog energetically followed the stick with his eyes, with its tongue sticking out in an odd manner. I came out onto the patio and into the fresh air of the fall day, finding the dog's endeavors quite amusing myself.

Veronica saw me standing there and gave a thoughtful stare, "Hi Eddward."

I waved, as Nazz turned to me, "Salutations ladies." Once I had set down the books I had brought along, the dog came over and sniffed me, then proceeded to jump on me with large claws out. Yes, it hurt.

"Hey! Crap-head! Get down!" Veronica pointed off the dog, and quickly looked my person over. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," I said, brushing off any dirt I had acquired from my encounter, "Crap-head?"

Nazz giggled, her hair dancing as she moved, "Like, that's the dog's name dude."

"He likes people a lot, sorry," Veronica smirked at her other guest's amusement in the dog's identification.

"That's quite alright." Then our attention was turned to the blonde, who was following uh, hmm 'Crap-head' to a large, elevated box that looked much like a chicken coop. The whole thing was enclosed, just adding curiosity to the contraption. The dog was extremely interested in this box, and sniffed the whole frame of it with its wet nose where it stood two and a half feet tall. The girl was watching the dog, delighted in it. She also became curious about the box and turned to Veronica.

"What's in that box?"

Her reaction was a wide grin, and a point to the lid, "Open it and see."

Nazz gave a teasing frown, then went over and pulled up the wooden lid with ease. When she saw what was in the box, she ran for the house, screaming like she was being chased by a pack of hyenas. We watched her off around the house and had a little view of her running down the street over the bushes and fencing. I looked toward the box, now curious myself, as the dog was still sniffing. And, well, I was awed to see at least thirty rats in the bottom of that box. They were laying together, playing in a wheel, eating, drinking from a bottle, and they came in all sorts of colors, speckled, and adorable with little patches on their eyes and long, pink tails. I guess Nazz had a phobia for them; but I adored rats, having been familiar with the lab rat ever since I was a small lad. Turning to Veronica, I caught her snickering in devilish amusement.

"Man, I thought she'd never leave." Then she hollered to the house, "Hey S.O.S.! Nazz found your snake food!" In a moment, Sitare came out onto the patio with a grim face.

"Hey, I really liked that girl, great going V." He eyed her in contempt, slowly waddling over to us in the yard with his hands in his pockets, sighing and looking on to where Nazz had gone. He ignored my presence completely, taking Veronica into his arms and telling her quietly, "Well, you social butterfly, I'm gonna be going." He smiled at her, making her beam one of her helplessly bright grins back into his face. I felt my fingertips dig into my palm, when he reached into her face, nose to nose.

"S.O.S.?" She whispered breathlessly before he, uh, well uh, kissed her. Well, I was very much confused as to why he kissed her, I thought that he was her... oh, well, I stood there troubled, and awkward as she received him into her mouth, reaching her arms up around his neck helplessly. For some reason it became very hot just then and I had to turn around and fan myself. I turned back and she had her eyes on me, staring nervously as S.O.S. finished his kiss with his hand going slowly and open-handed down her lower back, making her moan as he slid his slimy tongue from between her rapidly quivering lips. He left silently, giving her a smile of admiration and leaving her to wipe her mouth. We both remained quiet long after we heard a car leave the driveway, standing there in the grass with the dog smelling me. I shook, flaring with questions and in shock at this startling revelation. Her throat showed movement and I knew she was swallowing hard: this was just to add to my picture of her awkwardness. I was red, glaring at her and a little angry I must say.

Then, in between her disgustingly infatuated pants, she almost whispered, "Sorry about that."

I stood still in my place, quite firm and disappointed, and becoming agitated very quickly, "I don't think you need to apologize to me Veronica, you were the one who was giving **me** a difficult time thinking that I'd use you when lo and behold, you are letting a boy who can't be any less than three years older than you apply his tongue to your uvula!" I said all of this with an appropriately sarcastic tone and then stomped off to the porch where I had left my books. Yes, I was simply going to leave, not feeling that she needed anymore of my time.

"He's my brother." Oh, she was really trying my patience now with her pathetic attempts at lying. Surely she didn't expect me to believe that anyone's brother would 'French' them! I turned around, and gave her a malicious glare.

"I've had quite enough of you! I was under the impression that you were an upright human being, but when it comes right down to it:" every one of my next words were spoken with a large breath of air, "you are hypocritical, unintelligent, easy, impolite, selfish, cynical, niave, lax of any social skills worth having, blunt, callous, and now you have even lied to me! Thank you for bringing me to the truth Miss Veronica, but I do believe that Eddy was right about you." She was fogging up, even though she was desperately trying to stop this.

"He is my brother, Eddward!"

"And that is why you two do not even share the same skin tone, am I correct?" I came up to her, getting in her face and angrily giving her a piece of my mind.

"My parents adopted him before I was born!" She shouted loudly in frustration, almost insulted herself, "He kissed me just now for insurance, he is trying to drive you away because he is afraid that I will be hurt. He thinks you are only interested in me for impure purposes and if I look unavailable, then that means that you will give up having a friendship with me. He just might be throwing up right now as you senselessly argue with me, even though I can't blame you if all you truly wanted _was_ an impure relationship and you are now** jealous**! My brother is a very smart person and he is only trying to protect me: even against my will. Do you think that I wanted him to kiss me? No! But he is too much stronger than me to resist. Now go ahead Double D, leave if you want to, you will only be proving him right that you are another greedy pig who wants to take advantage of whatever ignorant girl they can get their hands on."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We studied on the patio, at a white, plastic table with the umbrella up to shade us from the sun. We didn't mention our previous quarrel again, and we both were benefited for having had an argument. It helped me get out my frustration that I had been suffering from lately and assisted her in becoming more comfortable with me. It might seem odd, but this is the truth. Very little of what I said had any merit to her actual persona, even though I did think she was overly cynical, lax of most social skills, and a bit callous. But I understood why she would be so callous, so hard, so blocked off from any human mutuality... and I thought that maybe I could venture to bring her back to life. Quite obviously my continuing presence meant that her brother was wrong about me: I had absolutely no intention of hurting nor exploiting her. So we sat there for quite a while, and having read all we could about a certain 'Benedict Arnold', we found each other's weary eyes.

"Why does your friend hate me?" She asked this question as if she had been waiting to ask it ever since I came here. The wind blew her hair in her face, and she kept pulling it out, trying to give me appropriate eye contact.

"Because he believes you to be just as bad as your cousins," that was what I answered, with my head down in shame. She laid her arms down on the table, stretching out. She gave off a little laugh

"Yet I was the one trying to protect you three, that makes sense," she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, and I apologize, I forgot to thank you myself for what you did."

"Don't apologize, sometimes I feel like they are my responsibility, since I am related to them. Usually they don't fight me, they just listen and do what I ask, you know, since they don't want trouble with me. I guess I crossed the line."

"Well thank you, I've never seen someone so brave." She frowned strongly at my earnestness with a red face.

"You must really be afraid of them," she nodded. I returned the gesture, and stared at her knees.

"Yes, they hurt me most days at school and occasionally on the weekends, making my life miserable and full of fear. I just don't...who could be that cold?" I looked at the table, folding my arms, being uncomfortable with the subject.

She was looking at her own arms, staring at something, so I looked at them and saw those scars. Her eyes were fogging and she looked uncomfortable. I didn't know if I should dare ask her how those came to be, I didn't know if it was appropriate since I didn't know her very well yet. What did I know? Not much.

"There are many people who could be that cold. And they go after the warm people," she stared at me with an intensity that almost made me faint.

We were quiet for a long time after that, with the wind blowing us, making us feel not so alone. I played with the ends of the book pages, uh, I didn't know what to say, nothing to top that. She kept her arms folded, protecting her heart, and stared as at a memory with her eyes spacing out at the table.

"Do you always listen to Eddy?" These words alerted me out of my mind, so I hadn't heard much of it, only her drowsy syllables.

"Pardon me?"

She leaned forward, speaking clearly, "Do you always listen to Eddy?"

"No!" I tried not to yell, yet was so angry with her for such a question. I was trying to make sure my questions were appropriate for acquaintances and she just went and blurted whatever she pleased. "I have my own mind."

"Hey, it just seems that he rules you," she shrugged, talking apologetically. "It seems that way. You listen when he tells you I can't sit with you, even though you fight, you give in."

"What do you want me to do? Tell him to get lost?!" I stood up, growing impatient with her yet again.

"No, Nazz told me how he rules you like a dictator." Well, I hadn't known her knowledge of that. "I don't want you going out of your way for me, but she told me, everyone at her table did."

"Oh, well," I rubbed my arm and sat back down, heating up. "I know I shouldn't listen to most of the things he tells me, he's my friend, shouldn't you please your friends?" My mind was jumbling thoughts, and I knew that all that was coming out of my mouth was not sufficient. "He is very demanding, but...I like pleasing him. I like him, I am not friends with him because I have no one else, if I had a choice, I would still be his friend, because I like him." With every word, my voice rose and my thoughts became clearer and her ears were pricked as my words became more and more powerful. "I feel that someone accepts me when I please him, even if he doesn't thank me or even remember me, because, no one else does."

"That's why?" She was awed with me, licking her dry lips and letting her jaw levitate.

"Yes," I almost didn't say.

"But you shouldn't listen to what you know is wrong, no matter who tells you. Those are your morals Eddward, and those are more important than anyone's demands." She stood up, and ushered me. I got up, and followed her to the house. She opened the door for me, and brought me to the kitchen to a portion of the counter that had two walkie-talkies charging by a power outlet. She plucked one up from the charger and handed it to me, "Here."

I took it, curious, "Um, what's this for?"

"When my cousins attack you, call me, and I'll try to get there and help you as fast as I can." She smiled reassuringly, "They are planning to pounce on you on Friday, so keep that with you."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I didn't need to know why or how she knew that the Kanker sisters were going to attack me at the time, yet it bothered me later. That night I lay in my empty house once again, sleep laughing at me. Sweat covered my forehead and neck.

I just couldn't sleep, I didn't want to sleep. What I wanted was to know why the gym had been vandalized, why my name had been literally written all over it... There was a list of suspects in my head, the new students at the top of the list. And why? Why had I known that this was going to happen, how would I have known that this was going to happen? It was no coincidence, I had known everything down to the red hue of the ink. What could be the connection? There was no connection, only me.

Then, I felt a chilly wind pass my bed, drying the perspiration on my skin. I jerked my blanket off of my shivering body and stabbed my surroundings with my eyes to find the catalyst of that breeze. At the foot of my bed, dull in the sunlight, standing off some distance, was my school. The whole building was there! My breath ceased, as I saw the brick face and entrance and just... oh my! Scrambling in my bed toward its foot, I fell onto my floor painfully, but ignored it to get up and run towards the school with leaves crunching under my frantic feet. My surroundings were now the outside world in front of my school. My bed was nowhere in sight. Looking down, my body was completely clothed in my red coat, purple shorts, and red socks over my turquoise shoes. I was dreaming, that was the only explanation I could give myself. It mad perfect sense, if I was dreaming. Kids were getting off the bus behind me, Veronica being one of them. She came up to me, without awkwardness and with all boldness.

"What is going on?!"

"What are you talking about?" She asked, adjusting my hat. She wasn't wearing all her eyeliner, and she looked happy today, free. Also, she seemed taller and far more developed, as if older.

"Veronica, what is going on?" I repeated myself, even more hysterical than before. She put her hand on my forehead, then laughed quietly.

"Nothing, do you know something I don't?"

She was just touching me so much, and giving me this smile that seemed like it was made for a beloved friend, and that wasn't me, not to her, not to her.

"I was just in my bedroom, and now...I am here with you."

"Just now?" She frowned, looking back at the bus that she was assuming I came from.

"Yes!" I felt my textbooks in my arms and dropped them in a shudder of horror, I was not holding those books two minutes before! She gathered them up and handed them to me.

"Are you afraid of your math books now?" The school bell rang from the building, I could hear it faintly. "Oh man, we're late!" She took my hand and led me off to the school, trudging through the muddy, leaf-cluttered yellow grass. Fall had quickly advanced, earlier today it was a late summer's day, but now- oh, where was I? Following Veronica to the school, I was blatantly mesmerized. She had never even touched me, and now she couldn't stop, as if I was so close... The sign in front of the school made me ill the most, it read 'Creek Junior High'. Had someone taken out the 'Ach' in the sign? Why didn't it say 'Ach Creek Junior High'?

When Veronica parted from me for her class, I stood in the hall, surrounded by others, screaming from the top of my lungs in agony, confusion, and frustration, "WHERE AM I!?!"

I didn't go to class, but ran to the restroom. It was in the same place as before, it was just like it. Dropping my books, I turned on one of the four faucets. Flushing my eyes with water, I proceeded to smack myself. The first time was weak, and didn't do much but pinch my skin with little pressure. I did it again, this time braver and with more force. Finally, I took a punch at myself.

"Wake up! Wake up!" Glancing in the mirror, I saw that I was taller, about an inch. I should have noticed such a difference in myself, I was only four feet, eleven inches. I had to find a calendar, I was NOT dreaming.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Eddy! Eddy!" I raced to my friend's locker, screaming frantically. It was open and Eddy stood, staring at a crude calendar. Oh, a calendar!

"What's the rush Double D?" He asked. He seemed shorter, perhaps since my height had fluctuated so. I stabbed the calendar with my eyes, desperately trying to read its five letters above the grid. I almost fainted, just trying to read it. It had five letters, started with an 'M', ended with an 'H'. March? March! This was six months away! I gasped, swallowing nothing and grabbing the side of the locker, trying to stay upright.

"Eddy! Why is your calendar set in March?" I wiped my face hopelessly with my palms full of sweat.

"Because it's March," he frowned, not amused with my endeavors to understand.

"IT IS NOT MARCH EDDY!" I wailed, so confused, so lost.

"Stop acting like Ed!" He watched me sit on the ground, feeling light-headed. My mind was racing, I tried my best to think this through. Where was I?

Okay, I had just been in my bedroom, in bed. Then I saw the school and got out of my bed. I came here. No! that doesn't make any sense! Start again, I made a mistake at some point. I got out of bed, and saw the school, and Veronica pulled me here...No no no! That isn't right! What is going on? I was just in my...

It was dark, and I sat in my soft bed, with clean covers smoothing up my legs and clenched in my fingers. What just happened here? Was I hallucinating? Was I crazy? Was I just sleeping? I don't remember awaking. Swallowing hard, I lay down and got as comfortable as I could, preparing myself for a sleep that wouldn't come.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As far as anyone knew, last night didn't happen. And as far as I knew, it wouldn't happen again, if it had ever happened at all. I didn't hear my classes, they were just a medley of words that had no meaning. I could not focus, there were bigger things than my pre-algebra, than my country's revolution, than my plural pronouns... I was losing my mind. And that was bigger, much bigger, well, to most people. Emotionless, blinkless, timeless, I walked from my class with all these factors, making me stick out as all the others were practically running for the lunch hour, if not for protocol. So I was abandoned behind, with the whole hallway and half the school, to myself as I went over to my locker, taking in every noise of the metal door swinging back however gently I tried to keep it from sounding. My deep inhalation was followed by an audible exhale, yet there was no comfort in this. I could feel the continuous distress I was under, and it was about to break me down.

"Forty-six days to summer vacation Double D!" My heart jumped in my chest, my fingers cringing, sealing to the cold metal of the locker door. I swallowed hard, having had my silence broken. Turning around, I saw my best friend, standing by his locker, pulling up a page of his calender to May. Was ever such a beautiful month such a nightmare to behold?

There, behind me, was standing Eddy. I had not heard him approach, his footsteps, his locker door, nothing. I had not heard a thing indicating any human's presence in this hall, beside my own. He glanced at me, then proceeded to gaze at his bikini clad picture on top of the grid, and... and... oh my.

The four digits above the grid were staining my mind in yellow ink and bubble font. My arms fell to my side like pendulums, and I only could look on in disbelief. Eddy, please be wrong...I couldn't forget what had happened the night before even though I had tried to play the blissful denial game. It was May of this year, was I traveling backward now? I mean, not only was I going through time like a clogged turnpike, but I was going through a clogged turnpike without any order whatsoever or idea of which direction I could be taking next! What was the point of this cruelty? Was it completely necessary to send one person forward in time to see things they were not meant to see, then to push them back in time to see things that are monotonous motions anyway? Was this the way the Creator was going to make life interesting for me? Was this at all possible? Was this at all fair?

I thought of progress, did I still know everything I knew five months later or five seconds ago in the present time? Or was it the present time? What if it was not? What if I had been living in the wrong time this entire time? What if there was no wrong time? Oh my! What was I asking? Who am I? Who asks questions of this nature? It is not right! I turned to Eddy, please, I so hoping he was wrong and just trying to pull my leg with his ignorance of the importance of time.

"What are you spacing out about?" Eddy frowned, now standing directly in front of me and waving his short arms. I looked at him just before he spoke again, "The secretary wants you in the office."

"Pardon?" Was what I was capable of saying, having heard what he had said, but not truly understood.

"You've got a date in the office, probably an errand Mr. Do-Right," he mumbled in disappointment, poor Eddy, he believed being good was a bad thing.

"Thank you," I could hardly hear myself speak, too absorbed in everything. After a minute, I started moving my feet in the direction of the office, "Goodbye Eddy."

"Whatever," he banged his locker shut and walked after a leaving Nazz and the money that was projecting from her pocket.

I seemed in a trance as I reached the office and Mrs. Becker summoned me to her desk. Upon giving me a piece of paper which I took without realizing it, she told me what I was to do. But those words ran together and I didn't perceive most of them except for: "On the west side of town there is a bakery", "bread for sandwiches", "be prompt", "thirty loaves", "molded", and "that's the bakery, do you know where it is?" Now she expected feedback from me, and I should not have nodded because I was not listening. Yet I did, and it came lamely and mechanically. It wasn't my fault I had nodded either, for, I cannot explain it, I fought not to. I didn't even have control of myself.

There was an abundance of time to think of an explanation for my time travel as I went down to the street "Carl's Bakery" was at. But, by the time I reached it, I had not thought of any satisfying explanation that made a bit of sense. I stepped off the noisy, crowded, public bus to start down the street. I passed East Meadow Junior High, a handful of diverse stores, and the public library when I saw a group of four young men on the side of a building, next to a large garbage bin. I could vaguely see that they were holding another person out of my sight. As three of the boys held her still, the fourth was battering her and ripping off her clothing with his harsh, malicious fists. I gasped, going into a panic and not knowing what to do in such a circumstance.

One of the boys looked at me from where I stood up the street. He then let go of one of the fighting girl's legs and ran off up the road. The other boys didn't notice me, the pedestrian on the street, but called after the retreater in rough voices:

"Coward!"

"Ow!! Ahhh!!!" The girl's screaming was what drove the monster on as the boy pounded on her with his fists, beating her. He stopped, only for a moment, to take a knife from his back pocket and then... I covered my eyes. The screams were unbearable to listen to. I ran over to assist her, I needed to stop them! This got their attention. At this place, close to the curb and three yards from them, I saw the girl's distressed and bruised face, covered in dirt. It was... it couldn't be! I yelled a short gasp of agony and surprise. I had only known her for a few days and I was continuously bothered with the question: what were those scars on her arms from? She lay in her captors' arms bloodily, still trying to fight so painfully to get away, with hardly a hope left. Veronica was her name, I had known that the second I saw her, even before, and... now I knew I had seen her before. Here... I had seen her before. My eyes started to blur, but I still ran up and shouted in a demand at those sick beings.

"Leave her alone!" I wailed; the one who had been beating her was covered in her blood, with an imprint of the red substance on his lips. What had he been doing to her?

"What are you going to do?" He asked, not taking me seriously at all, but almost laughing.

"Don't you hurt her anymore, or I'll, I'll call the police!" It was all I had. The boys laughed and continued to torture her. Marching over, I grabbed the bloody bastard's arm and tried to stop him from stabbing her chest. He grabbed my hand, and punched me in the face. It all had happened so fast, I didn't even know if it was his left or right arm. I descended to the cold ground with another punch into the gut. There was no getting up, I didn't even move. It was impossible to do so. Screams pierced my ear drums, with the tears rolling down the sides of my face.

Now I knew, I knew what Finch had meant by _"But my brother tried to fix that, now didn't he?"_ and I knew why she had all those miserable scars down her arms. Was this boy who had punched me Finch's brother?

I fought to move, but it was in vain. Choking on my tears as she screamed more and more, louder and louder, I found myself fading in agony, submersed until I was lost.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The hallway was crowded with students as the lunch hour was now finished. I stood there in the center, my backpack gripped in my hand. I sighed, Veronica was gone. The alley was gone.

What had happened?

I did not know, but it didn't matter anymore. I dug into my shorts' pockets not to discover the check the school secretary had given me.

This time I wanted to get back, that girl needed me, she was being hurt, she... was coming down the hallway toward me in perfect health, with her fresh, bleeding wounds now just faint scars. I wanted to madly run to her and embrace her in my arms when I remembered that we were just becoming friends, we were not close. I knew that in the first place I had been, I was close to her because she touched me very many times, but here... here was different. Confusion and despair consumed me horribly, I managed my composer with skill.

"Hello Double D," she greeted awkwardly, becoming queasy every time she looked me in the eye. I nodded, feeling completely, utterly numb. She went on to the cafeteria at that, nodding. Yet I stood still. Turning to her on the same spot of the floor, my voice cracked.

"Veronica?"

Looking at me, she went around students back towards my person, "Yes?"

I hesitated, then said quietly but loud enough for her to hear, wanting to do something to make up for my former inadequacy. "I'll protect you." She stared at me then stepped back, just to pace forward.

"I'm going to protect you, remember? From my cousins." She held up her walkie-talkie, the day being Tuesday as far as I knew.

"I'll protect you from now on." My words were weak, and timid, almost nauseous. She was very curious at this, and stared with a frightened eye, with her awkwardness increasing.

"Uhmm, I'll see you later."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**The End **of chapter three. See you in two weeks, hopefully.


	4. I'm Not Alone

**Peach, Ach Creek **

Yahoo. Once again, no one has set me aflame.

_A country for the violators, a home for the hating. But if you look at who's hurt, you see justice is abating. _

_No life is safe as we stand, no one cares for you or me. They break the homes, scar the flesh, and still they go free. _

_How much blood is on our hands, giving them the chance? The courtrooms wreak of their blood, and the monsters dance._

_They make us gasp, and make them pour out their reverie. They've taken lives and will do it again, and still they go free. _

**Chapter Four**

**"I'm Not Alone" **

Ignoring what had happened, unfortunately, was impossible. But I couldn't tell anyone about it. I usually kept my problems to myself, however, I was on the verge of bursting into sobs in front of Eddy on the bus on this Wednesday morning. He was ignoring my emotion because he didn't approve when I displayed any emotion or affection or anything that might lean toward me being effeminate. If only he knew just how I felt for him, then he would really have something to worry over. I mean, I _do_ love him sometimes, I just wish he wouldn't do this: I needed someone to talk to. Well, he would think I was crazy anyway.

Ed, on the other hand, would not believe I was crazy. He would listen to everything I had to say, believe it with all faith, and offer his help in anyway possible. However, he wouldn't be capable of understanding my situation, nor would he be able to help. Well, I did not even possess the understanding to help myself, how could anyone else?

These two friends of mine were having a conversation with me, yet I could faintly hear it as my mind was in a constant state of depression..."been planning on our band, we're gonna need stuff."

"Pardon?" I looked to Eddy from the window seat. He was not at all humored with my attention span, this was easy to see with his ever-lowering eye lids.

"Where have you been the past..." we went over a bump, "couple of days!?" He yelled this as if he had been holding in these sentiments in for quite some time, and as if we were alone on this bus. A few kids watched this very verbal child momentarily, before going back to their conversations and window gazing.

"He's been right here Eddy," our taller friend answered for me. As true as Ed's statement was, it did not satisfy him.

"I know! But he doesn't listen to me anymore!" He then turned to me, "What are you doing in your head?" He stood up on his seat and started pulling on my cranium and hat in a jesting manner. I laughed as he continued, "Stop thinking and listen to me!" He gave me a light tap on the forehead and sat down in satisfaction. We were quiet for a block, our smiles withering with time. It was then that I remembered Monday's incident, when Eddy punched Kevin in the face- because of me. It was as if that had never happened, as that twinkle in Eddy's familiar eyes was back, and his demeanor was so friendly on this morning. Perhaps he was trying to win me to his side another way...

Ed, as interested as always in the musical venture, started up the conversation again, "Where do we get money for your drums?" Eddy was sitting on his side of the seat, with his feet up on the other half of mine, and his hand under his square chin.

"I'm trying to figure that out," he said thoughtfully, "Think of something Double D."

I smiled at him, now with the 'program', "I have. Come to my house tomorrow and I will have your solution."

"You will?" Eddy was unbelieving.

"Yes, I will," I spoke with confidence, "Now do not be dwelling on it during class today, try to pay attention."

The instruction, however, would go unheeded, even by me. I looked back out the windows at the trees that were just starting to yield their chlorophyll hue to the mid-September chill and dampness. The bus came up to the school in our quiet Ach Creek. Suddenly, all was not so simply serene as I remembered the violence that inhabited that school. The red-brick building with its trim bushes and pristine pavement and lawns was only a disguise. I got off the bus with my friends and followed them to one of the building's many entrances.

"Finch, leave me alone," I heard Veronica's voice mumble as I stepped up to the top of the staircase. I stopped in front of the double doors, letting them shut on me, watching Eddy and Ed through the screened glass as they obliviously kept on walking. I turned to the large span of lawn to the left where Finch stood, snapping his filthy hands at her: slipping them down her waist and clenching her backside.

"What's wrong with you?" Finch then put a rough hand on her soft face, "Have you been crying? What's wrong you slut?" He said these things in a sympathetic tone, if he had one, just to add more volume to his persecution. Her eyes were on him in hatred, as she did not know exactly when to smash him in the face. She started to run toward the building, seeing me, when Finch put his leg in her path. She fell simultaneously into the soft ground, sprinkled with leaves. She tried to get up, sighing over her state. Her elbows and knees were splotched with mud, and I ran over to help her up. I had a bundle of napkins in my back pack and took them out to wipe off her skirt and clean her marked elbows. She watched my every action in bewilderment, and I could see what Finch had been inquiring so rudely about: she had been crying. I put my arm around her back and tried to stand between the two of them.

"Is there something **I **can help you with?" I asked angrily.

"No," Finch frowned, obviously not used to someone interfering with his prey, "Get lost..." and then he called me what he called Veronica most days.

I quivered at first, then continued to speak, not realizing any bravery in this act, it would have taken more nerve just to let anyone hurt her after what I had seen, "You leave her alone!"

Veronica grabbed my hand with her sweaty, hot fingers and walked to the school, our safety. I let her take me off, elated that this was the end of this scene. As we went off, distancing ourself from that... uh... the cold air told me something else, no matter how I tried to keep her hand in mine.

Finch had made a remark to me. The sentence rang in my ears painfully, and, and it hardened me, made me clench my hand that wasn't fastened in hers into a fist, and made me hate.

_"I don't think you want that whore, she's all scarred up." _

It was hard not to hear him, it was hard not to hate him, so I let go of Veronica's hand, forgetting all my manners for there was no place for them in a situation such as this, and turned to that disgusting pig.

"Don't you dare talk about her as if she was garbage! She didn't deserve what her body received! She can't help her pain, what was done to her by those monsters. She was abused until there was almost nothing left! VIOLATED! Why do you serve her more pain?!" I was screaming all this like a madman, crying in staggering amounts as I finally let out my feelings about her past and their treatment. All Finch did was laugh, and in laughing, he pointed her out to me. Turning about, I saw what he found so funny: she was staring in horror, with terror, with awe- at me.

Oh no, what had I said? This wasn't my knowledge, how could I explain this? She became angry, staring at me.

Her chest rose, as she gave out her demand, "WHO TOLD YOU!?!"

"No one."

"Then how do you know all that?" She folded her arms uncomfortably, swallowing hard.

"It's hard...to explain," I couldn't find words to answer, she would not believe me, I'm sure of it.

She began to walk off toward the school, but then came back and grabbed my wrist to lead me off, not wanting to leave me with her tormentor.

Guiding me to the customarily empty basement, she took me to the most remote place of the lowest floor. Then, she turned her face to me, and gazed with troubled eyes.

"How do you know how this happened to me?" She lifted her arms and showed me them with her palms up and curled. I came close, and touched the harsh red of the smooth lines. There were so many, once I was given a chance to count them individually. My eyes were filling with more tears. She gasped for breath in my face. She must have been overwhelmed, letting someone look at them. I sobbed, touching her soft, pale skin. She had been thrashed, her wounds retelling the story that I had seen.

We had been standing there for a while, with my hands on her scarred arms when she became awkward, perhaps she had never been so... quiet with someone else before. I enjoyed it, as much as I could while looking at her poor.. poor limbs. "His brother's name was Jak. I met him at East Meadow Junior High. His friends always bullied me, tried to rape me a few times... but he always protected me. And then... he came to my house one day, just to say hi, but he wanted a kiss. And I..." her lips quivered, her eyes welling over, "I had been saving my first kiss, because I knew that one day soon, I'd meet my... my..."

"Love?" I tried to help her speak, seeing she could not find the word.

She nodded, "...yeah, and he was mad. Then I knew why he had been so nice to me, 'cause he wanted to abuse me. He tried to force a kiss out of me, but I hit him. My brother came and threw him out. It made him stop protecting me at school. I was alone, I needed someone to protect me from all those jerks, and there was no one. And... I was leaving the school one day, and I noticed Jak was behind me down the street. I kept on walking, hoping that he wouldn't talk to me. But his friends were up the street... they blocked my way home, I tried to run... but they cornered me- got me in an alley... and- I tried to fight- they hurt me so much, and all of them held me still so Jak could... could get his freakin' kiss! He cut me and beat me and _touched_ me... It was... I had never known how much my body could hurt! He did things that I... I... and... he let his friends look at my body. I was so bare, and it was cold... and I was bleeding so much I just wanted to curl up. But I couldn't move..." She stopped, staring at the wall behind me. "I just wanted to die, but the pain kept me awake. He left me behind a dumpster like a used up piece of trash... to die." The ventilation system roared into another degree of background noise as she paused thoughtfully. I needed to notice this noise, because then I could... could try to let go of the horrid visions in my mind, at least for a second. "My brother found me. I... I don't even remember him finding me... I was in a coma for three days. Jak's in prison. Finch burned down East Meadow that night he was convicted. He thought that **I**, I had done something wrong. And everyone hated me, because what happened to me made the police start to take all the crimes that happened at East Meadow seriously." I sniffled, looking up at her and crying in the tenderness of my imagination.

"I...I was there." I admitted this foolishly- what was I thinking? She would not believe me. Perhaps it was the intensity of the moment that caught me off guard and made me open up.

"What? No you weren't."

"Yes I was."

"Don't be ridiculous, you never met me before last week." It was funny how one sentence could influence my train of thought so much. The pieces of the puzzle began to come together at that one persuasive statement.

"Veronica, do you remember the day we met? Yes, this makes perfect sense! Veronica, I asked you if we had met before. You didn't think we had, but... but we did! I was running an errand for the school secretary down there. I saw you and Jak... attacking you. I tried to help but he hit me so hard I fell down. I couldn't... I was there!"

"Why don't I remember you?" She was, understandably, skeptical. I thought hard for some way to explain, and then, it all came back.

"After Jak left, we lay quiet for a long time. I couldn't move until I heard someone coming. When I got up, I saw your brother over you. He picked you up and went off. He didn't notice me. It wouldn't surprise me that you never knew that I was there, you were unconscious after they left." She stood with her mouth hanging open an inch, some kind of odd look in her eyes, as if it was... oh I don't know.

"I remember now," she was smiling, with a happy, cheerful face, yet still crying, "You were lying there with me. I remember you yell, 'Leave her alone!'." Her sobs became heavy convulsions, so I took her into my arms tightly.

"I did meet you," I mourned, my already broken voice trembling in broken groans. I found myself holding her for so long, and she was laying into me so comfortably. After seven minutes, I admitted to myself that I had to tell her the whole story, how I had remembered the whole incident. We let go of each other sheepishly, and I saw how awkward she was. "I'm sorry." I played with my fingers as she gave me her full attention, "I need to tell you something. You are going to think I have gone mad, but please... you have to believe me." Her innocent eyes were gleaming into mine, and I took one deep breath, and began to tell her everything.

It is so peculiar: the most overwhelming proof that I had met her before was the most subtle. You wouldn't think that I, Eddward Sobchak could ever get this close to someone so quickly, and I knew that her personality kept her from doing the same. We knew each other, in not only one other dimension, but in three. I could never be this comfortable with anyone this soon if not for these facts.

And when I was done spilling it all before her, I could see the final reaction: that look of disbelief on her face. I sighed, now realizing that I had been right, she wouldn't believe me. "Please, I know it sounds crazy. I wouldn't even believe it but... you have to trust me. You haven't known me long enough to know my integrity but I am not lying." I stared at the ground, feeling so distraught and helpless as I realized I couldn't prove it. "I wouldn't have remembered that the girl I had tried to rescue was you, until I went there last Monday and saw you..."

"You went there last Monday?!"

"Yes, and last week. It has only occurred twice. I don't know why now, or why me. What did I do? Theoretically, don't I have to do something to trigger this?" She went silent in thought. I stared at her, "I don't blame you for not believing me, it's science fiction at best." She remained quiet as I spoke apologetically, taking me and setting me down on the ground and sitting next to me. She leaned her head over to me, looking down both of the hallways before whispering in my ear.

"I believe you without a doubt," there was a surety in her voice that made me tense up. I supported my upper body and made myself eye level with her, since she was taller.

"Why?" I clenched her red skirt, as she smiled with a big secret in her eyes.

"You aren't the only one," those words left her lips and made goose bumps form on my skin, since she said it so revealingly and in such a creepy way.

"You do too?"

She nodded, "Double D, I've been going to different times ever since I met you. It has to have something to do with you and me. There are four different dimensions that I've been in, including the real one and this one. This isn't the real world, alright?" She was asking me if this was alright. But how could something like that be 'alright'?! I was not real?!!! I looked at her, then at myself, we were not real. Oh... I swallowed hard, panted, heaved, swerved even though I was sitting, and I could almost oath that I had seen the room tip for a second there.

"But..." I was out of it, and leaned onto her for rest. She smiled at me. "Why?"

"My best guess is that something happened that wasn't supposed to in the real world, and hence, we were created."

"Which world is the real world?" I felt a longing for her touch after all this overwhelming information had been jammed into my head. She was not even giving my mind of a file cabinet enough time to resort all this new data. Yet through me panic, she only sat there rigid and motionless, just allowing me to lean on her.

"Peach Creek, it is five months in the past, the one where you saw Jak..."

I looked at her with a sickly smile, "So we have not really met yet?" She shook her head mischievously, giving me her little smile.

"Do you think anyone else knows about the different dimensions?"

"I don't know, if we were going to figure that out, we would have to ask them and risk being laughed into the nut house."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Veronica and I agreed to keep quiet and to try to find a way to fix everything. We pretended as if nothing was wrong and that we were in the 'real' dimension. I prepared my solution to Eddy's lack of an instrument in the apparently still-forming band. He came over right after school with our lovable Ed. If only they were so prompt for class. They came into my room without knocking. As I expected, they couldn't keep their eyes off the beige canvas that covered the mystery solution to our problems. I could not help but giggle, their curiosity delighting me.

"What's under the tarp, Double D?" Eddy asked, frowning at my humor.

Ed walked over to the pile that stood a good three feet at its highest point. He held a seriously mellow tone, "Air Eddy, don't you watch TLC?"

"On the contrary gentlemen..." I pulled off the canvas and there sat an old, seven piece drum set. A bottle of cleaner and dirty paper towels I had left lay around the instrument after my exertions in ridding it of the horrid dust. Eddy's mouth dropped: but Ed only appeared confused. The former looked at me with a smile that only reflected the crassness of his personality.

"How'd you get this Double D, you rob the music store or something?"

I frowned playfully at his little jest, "It belongs to my father, he received it as an awfully original present from his wealthy roommates in college. He's neglected it, having never learned to play."

"It's a beaut!" And there went Eddy's hands into his mouth in excitement and adoration.

"Eddy..." I began to remind him of his grammar, to his disgust.

"Yeah, yeah," he looked around everywhere as he sat down on the stool, so I handed him two maple drumsticks and his apparent search was over. The noise, unfortunately, began when he beat those drums carelessly. It was horrible enough to make me see urgency in stopping it.

"EDDY!" I tried to communicate with my frisky friend. Ed started dancing around, waltzing. Oh, how inappropriate for this instrument. Once Eddy had knocked me to the ground with the sound of the blast, I noticed that Ed was on his toes in quite a graceful manner, shocking me with how delicate his moves were. I sat up, and screamed again, with the walls of my room shaking, "EDDY!" He halted at last, and frowned at me on the floor.

"I'll practice at my house," he mumbled.

"Thank you Eddy," I sighed in relief. Ed stopped dancing, and looked at our little schemer in waiting.

"How you lug this thing?" I was so grateful that he was willing to listen to me, by not bursting my eardrums. We turned to Ed as our U-haul of choice.

He perked up and pulled up his sleeves, smiling blinklessly, "Melt-man! With the power to... melt!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the twenty-first time, I was going to sneak over to Veronica's house. Eddy suspected my furtiveness, I believe, but he wouldn't say anything to me as he had to practice with his instrument for many hours' time for the next month. I did not feel a shred of guilt, as Veronica and I were growing casual with each other, giving me the privilege to directly come into her backyard if she was out there. Today she probably would not be outside because of the rain, so I was hoping she would answer the door as promptly as usual, otherwise I would be a little wet. I opened up my umbrella at the door, hoping it would keep me dry even in this wind, then got a hold of the doorknob with my free hand. Just then, the doorbell rang. I frowned, then opened the door. My eyes went large in inquiry to Veronica Kanker, barefooted, wet, and smiling in my doorway. I frowned, ushering her in.

"I was just going over to your house," I shut the door, folding my umbrella. She turned around to look at me, after sitting on the floor by the door. Well, didn't she look comfortable on the filth of my high-traffic area of a living space? She took off a brick-red bucket hat, displaying her dry tresses, and dropping it by her side. "Aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"

She stared blankly, crossing her bare legs. Today she was without her leg-warmers, and I could plainly see why she wore such inappropriate attire: in the grey light of the large window, I saw her vicious scars of burgundy hue. I turned away, timidly trying to avoid that sight. Her breathing was labored, but she smiled at me with her legs folded- they were so pale you could see every scar. I was wriggling my nose and blinking repetitively to keep myself from crying in front of her over something so... "What's wrong?"

I almost lost my voice, moaning, "Your legs." Her eyes descended to them, her white face turning red, as she tucked each of her legs under herself. She wiped the hair out of her face, watching me leave the room for the living room couch. She 'popped' up from the floor, coming and sitting at my feet, all while being careful to hide her legs from me.

"I'm sorry, I forgot about it... because it's so humid out." It was... just my eyes into hers for some minutes on... and she didn't seem to mind, even though she looked away every now and then.

It was nice, having to say no words but just sit there with someone else and think together. The house was so quiet, so rudely quiet. I had no lights on, only the windows open, and there were no signs of movement from anything but the clock on the furniture piece with its pendulum going back and forth, back and forth. This was always the case here- and it was so... hollow. I knew that these sullen facts were the same qualities in her house, her parents being divorced and her mother having custody of her three siblings while she had to live with her rather nonexistent father and confusing older brother.

"Where is your father, Veronica?"

"He's at work." Ah yes, she liked to keep answers short. She played with her fingers in her lap, resting a shoulder by my knee.

"When does he get home?"

"Usually right before I go to sleep, he does other things after work," she answered in indifference, soon looking around at the house. "Where are your parents?"

"Father is at work and my mother is having a session with her psychiatrist. Tonight, however, is their anniversary so my mother might join me for supper, then leave for her red eye flight to New York, but my father will be eating elsewhere, if he eats at all."

"Oh." I nodded, too afraid to comment anymore on my family situation. Ignoring it made it easier to handle, as if it didn't exist.

"I went to Creek today, and you know that band that you are forming?" I nodded again, glad to be off the subject of our family lives. "Welp, in six months you will have your first concert in Ed's garage. And, I don't understand it though, I will be your pianist! I can't even play the piano that good..."

"Eddy will allow you to join us?" I accidently cut her off, overwhelmed with excitement over something that seemed so unreachable as Eddy's peace! Hmm, how odd! Eddy was being so stubborn and incapable of compromise now, and I could only smile because I knew that he would give out! I laughed aloud a little, and she glared at me, quite amused herself.

"I guess, but it's six months away, who knows what will happen in that time." She looked down, moaning, those last words spoken as if many meanings lay in between their syllables. And then she changed the subject faster than I had wished she would, "You aren't weirded out by me, are you?" I turned to her, shaking me head with a big, teasing smile. To this day I don't know why she asked that question.

She turned away quickly, red again, and her eyes wandered about the place. I allowed her this time to explore, until her eyes became stationary on the staircase. She stretched her neck to try to see up there, then squinted. When she turned to me, I was alarmed by the ambition in her face. "Could I see your room?"

It took me about 0.0001 of a second to form my involuntary reaction: "NO!"

She looked insulted, "Why not? Wait, is there another manner thing I don't know about that says I can't see your room?" She was completely sincere in this question, looking up at me and waiting for an answer. What a funny question! I gave out a laugh, then chuckled, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Veronica, why must you have to be so callous?" I sighed in my smile, "There are neither official rules nor manners concerning people's bedrooms. It just seems indecent, don't you agree?" She frowned in obvious lack of knowledge. "Well, think about it. You are a young lady, and you want to enter the room of a boy you are not related to?" I gave her a little time to answer and clues to the appropriate conclusion, but she said nothing, only shrugged her shoulders. There was a glance made back up to the bedroom, before she stood up on her now dry feet.

"Hey, Double D, if um... if you were older and if you were a pervert and not such a nice guy, then I wouldn't go in there. But obviously you probably don't even look at your mother's laundry when you're folding it, so why shouldn't it be alright for me to go in your room? Besides, I am stronger than you. Wait," she slowed to a stop, then retraced her runny words, "Are you personally offended by that?" She was even redder now, looking down at me hard. "Is this a privacy issue?"

"No, I uh, yes, uh, um, it just..."

"Don't you let Eddy and Ed in your room?" I could not lie, so nodded. "Then why can't I? Obviously this is no privacy issue."

"Uh... I am... Veronica, I am bashful around girls. You might say I'm chivalrous." I tried to grin, but she only started off, taking me with her. "Please Veronica, it is my room after all. It is nothing against you, it's just... well, I don't know what it is, but really, I don't feel kosher about this..." She turned around and looked me down, again... oh I was getting a headache.

"What is the problem? I'm your friend, can't I see your room? you went in mine."

"That was an accident, I thought it was the bathroom!" I stated defensively, crossing my arms. Oh, what if mother heard this conversation, gasp!

She smiled deviously, "But you stayed, and we sat in there for hours just talking and reading things." Alright, she was winning. I looked down at my red socks, then looked up to her again.

"Do not I get a choice in this?"

"Of course! I just don't see any reason to keep me out. Are you hiding something in there? You don't have dirty magazines, do you?" She looked worried.

"No! No, no... I most certainly do not possess reading material of that sort. I have nothing to hide. But my bedroom is where I sleep, where I dress, where I keep my undergarments..." she was laughing as I stressed out, "It is a private boy's room. Only Eddy and Ed ever go in there."

"What are you afraid of? Your underwear, I'm sure, is neatly tucked out of view, and your bed is clean and made. What will I see exactly?" She was etching backwards up the stairs, sneaking away. I followed helplessly, ready to physically stop her if she tried to open my door.

We went slowly up the stairs as we continued our argument. "Well..." I smiled at her weakly, as her frown only became more of a snicker.

"You are ALL red Double D, just let me in the room. I'm a friend, you don't have to be embarrassed of your personal space being invaded, YOU hugged me before." She rolled her eyes, taking my wrist and leading me right up the staircase and to my doorknob. I shrieked as she opened it. She started forward, and I started to reconsider. Maybe I could let her in. But as I glanced into the purple space...

"Ahhhh!!!" I yelled, grabbing her hand and trying to pull her back. She continued without difficulty, and I sank down, clenching both her legs and trying to mimic a large weight. "Veronica please!" Her foot rested on the carpet right before my eyes, and she was laughing right at me. "Veronica have mercy!" She trudged along with me on her limbs, almost leaving me behind. I held on, gripping with one hand the door's trim as she reached into the room with both feet and started toward the middle. My fingers put up a good grip on the trim, as she yanked on me. "Please, desist!" One last pull completely tore me from the wall and brought me to her feet. I lay there on the carpet, tired and panting, looking up at her. Her eyes were on my violet bed, my desk, my window, file cabinet, solar system model, dresser, and bookcase, then finally, down at me. She sighed, getting down and helping me on my knees. We were quiet, my panting seemingly adequate to listen to. She kept a hand on my head, petting me gently. I sighed, relaxing and looking around at the room myself. We sat there on the floor, quietly for a while, and eventually I had to smile at her apologetic look.

"You have a nice room."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That night I brushed my teeth, standing in my white-washed bathroom. My eyes wandered around as I tried to think of a reason why I could go through dimensions; why these dimensions existed. I blinked heavily, it was about nine forty-five on this wistful night, so I was tired. I could hear the tree branches swaying in the violent wind outside the house, and hear as branches hit the siding of the bathroom ever so gently. Blink. My brushing became slower. Blink, blink, blink. Then my eyes did not open at all, and for a moment they remained comfortably closed. Silly me, the sooner I finished brushing my teeth, the sooner I could get to my warm bed! So I opened my eyes..

What I saw though, was not my lavatory's furnishings, it was the secretary's office at school. No longer could I hear the rapping on the wall of the tree branches, or feel the heaviness of my eyes. The middle-aged, red-haired secretary who sat at a large desk, looked at me in my school attire and no toothbrush in my mouth.

"Mr. Sobchak, could you run an errand?"

"Yes ma'am," I could not help what came out of my mouth. No, no, no! Not again! Please, not again!

"Thanks, okay, all the bread in the cafeteria pantry has gone and molded, I'd like you to get thirty loaves of bread to replace it. There's a bakery on the west side of town that sells bread cheap. Everyone else is already swamped with work, so please be prompt, do you know where it is?"

I was helpless, as if forced to nod. I knew what was happening. This was my prison, my punishment for doing what I know not.

On that street, I swallowed hard. Then, I heard that sound that I had been bracing myself for; that sound that I had been fearing every moment for: her scream. Looking toward an alleyway, just yards off from East Meadow Junior High, I saw Veronica- Jak beating her viciously, and her fighting his friends in pointlessness. Of course, one of them saw me, the tallest, and he ran off with the others taunting him.

"Leave her alone!" I yelled, determined not to be defeated, even though I was drowning in distress over the repetition of my situation. I was so determined to succeed this time in being her savior, in fulfilling my promise to protect her. Marching after him, I grabbed his arm, making his dark eyes, bloody face, and soulless expression turn on me. He let go of her, grabbing my shirt and striking me before I could do anymore. I fell, paralyzed in the same place on the cement, soaking in the warm, pure blood of that little girl. Once again, I had to listen to her painful cries. Not one was skipped, not one was omitted, not one was changed, not one was forgotten.

The sun went down. the day grew cold, and I found myself back in my bathroom. I clenched the sink counter to stay up in my weakness, sobbing beyond reason. My voice was hardly audible, and it cracked and croaked painfully, full of mucus and misery as I choked. I was speaking to no one, because no one was here, but she was there, in my head, and in Peach Creek being beaten over and over, bleeding to near death. And I could do, as much as I longed to- nothing.

"I'm sorry."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks. Coming soon, Chapter five: "Black Eyes and Red Lips". Prepare for action, resolutions, and wisdom from the Ed. But you will never guess who kisses who in the next chapter. Go ahead and guess...


End file.
